Growing moth orchids,
taking an inventory of seed starting supplies, and starting greens are
some of
the gardening activities for this month.

When in flower, moth orchids (Phalaenopsis)
need consistent temperatures of above 60 degrees at night and above 70
during
the day. In New England, a south window in winter is not too much
light,
whereas it would be too much in summer. Fertilize with a dilute liquid
orchid
fertilizer (high phosphorous, low nitrogen). Let the soil dry out
somewhat
between waterings but not get completely dry. The flowers can be
damaged by gas
from a stove, cigarette smoke, and other chemicals in the air. If buds
drop
before opening, raise the humidity with a room humidifier or by
grouping plants
together on top of pebbles in a tray with water up to the bottom of the
pebbles.

Take inventory of
trays, pots, and six-packs from past years and discard any that are
cracked.
Reduce risk of disease by washing them, then soaking for 20 minutes in
a
solution of 10 percent bleach and water (9 parts water to one part
bleach),
then air dry.

If you have a set of
grow lights, you can grow mesclun or other quick-growing greens to add
to
early-spring salads. Fill a tray with moistened seed-starting mix and
sow seeds
thickly, then cover with one-quarter inch of soil and mist the surface.
Don't
let the surface dry out. As soon as the first seeds germinate, keep the
lights
about 4 inches above the tray.

You can start your own sprouts
for salads easily, buying seeds for this at garden stores or online
from
catalogs. You can buy special sprouting
trays that stack, or simply sprout in a jar covered with
cheesecloth.
Moisten seeds overnight, then drain and place
in containers. Rinse and drain
daily. Many seeds can be used such as
beans and peas, mustard and other similar greens, grains such as wheat,
grasses
such as oats, lettuce, and even onions and their relatives.

Whether you use warm-white and
cool-white fluorescent tubes or special plant lights to start
seedlings, they
lose light intensity after a year or two and ideally should be
replaced. If you
feel it's hard to justify buying new lights that often, consider all
the time
and effort you're spending on starting plants. Without adequate light,
your
seedlings will grow spindly and will be less productive in the garden,
and you
won't get the most out of your efforts.
Look for darkening at the ends of the tubes, a sign they are losing
intensity.

Potted forced
bulbs may need watering so check on them soon. They should be removed
from
their cold treatment when they are well rooted and shoots have begun to
grow. This is usually 10 to 12 weeks
from the time they were potted and placed in the cold.

When tree and shrub branches
bend under the weight of a new snowfall, use a broom to gently brush
off the
snow. Don't try to remove ice or you might break the branch. It's
possible to
save a branch that partially splits from the main trunk if you tie it
in place
and use long screws (coming from each direction, if necessary) to
secure it. If
done right away, the tree may callous over the wound and heal itself
next
season.